"West Point" (1973) Summary and Analysis

Despite his familial and emotional ties to West Point, Vidal argues in this essay that "the first order of business in the United States is the dismantling of the military machine; the military budget must be cut by two-thirds and the service academies phased out." Vidal, son of the first aeronautics instructor at West Point, was born at the military academy and recalls fondly the silver baby cup given to him by generals at West Point who were friends of his father and notes that he finds their loyalty to each other "poignant—yes, even honorable."

The problem with West Point, however, is that it is an elitist institution that produces arrogant, narcissistic officers more interested in their own survival than in serving the country. Indeed, the academy's motto is Duty, Honor, Country, and all too...